U.S. lags in maternity leave

Tami Spain and 1-year-old daughter Michaela Noelle have a play session with a mirror in their Orange home. Spain took 14 weeks maternity leave earlier this year to be with her baby. Spain, the mother of three girls, is general manager at Zinc Cafe & Market in Laguna Beach.JEBB HARRIS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

What does the U.S. have in common with Swaziland, Lesotho and Papua New Guinea?

The surprising answer: They are the only countries that don't mandate paid maternity leave for new mothers.

Countries from Saudi Arabia to Sweden provide some paid time off for new mothers to bond with their children, but not the U.S.

“It's shocking,” said Jennifer Jenrette, a Rancho Santa Margarita resident whose first child is due Nov. 26. Jenrette, an adoption social worker, went on maternity leave Nov. 12. She is hoping to patch together at least six months of maternity leave after her daughter is born, some of it unpaid.

Jenrette is dismayed that most working American women receive only six weeks of disability leave after giving birth: “There has to be a better way,” she said. “I think anything less than six months is crazy, honestly. The first couple of months you're so overwhelmed. It doesn't make sense that right when the baby starts feeling connected to you is when you have to leave them.”

According to a survey by the Families and Work Institute, 16 percent of American employers offer paid maternity leave. Advocacy group Moms Rising has found that while 49 percent of American mothers are able to get maternity leave by using sick days, vacation days, disability leave and the rare employer-provided paid maternity leave, the other 51 percent of new mothers lack any paid leave.

Orange resident Tami Spain did not receive employer-provided maternity leave after the births of her three daughters. Nevertheless, Spain considers herself lucky for one reason: She's a California resident.

California and New Jersey are the only two states in the country that provide paid leave. Enacted in 2004, the Paid Family Leave program is an extension of the State Disability Insurance (SDI) program. Workers who have contributed to the SDI program (an automatic deduction from most paychecks) are eligible for up to six weeks worth of wages, paid out at roughly 55 percent.

They must provide a doctor's note and be taking time off to bond with a new child or care for a sick loved one.

Spain, who has been general manager of Zinc Cafe and Market in Laguna Beach for seven years, gave birth in 2012 to daughter Michaela. Because she had a C-section birth, Spain received eight weeks of disability leave instead of six.

“We were bringing in less money, but we adjusted,” said Spain of her time on leave. “I wasn't doing any going out or shopping. I was at home, feeding a baby and eating. We were mindful of our budget.”

Coupled with six weeks of Paid Family Leave, Spain's maternity leave lasted 14 weeks, and then it was back to work. She opted not to use any accrued vacation or unpaid time off to extend her leave.

“I was ready to go back,” said Spain, 37. “I was rested and healed. Fourteen weeks felt sufficient. But I live in California. It's progressive here and we're lucky.”

While the state's Paid Family Leave program has been widely praised as groundbreaking, critics say there is room for improvement. General awareness is an issue, as a 2011 California Field Poll found that fewer than 45 percent of workers knew about the program and its benefits.

Unlike the federal Family and Medical Leave Act, which provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid time off to care for a loved one, California's Paid Family Leave program does not provide job protection or return rights. A report by the Center for Economic Policy and Research found that among those who knew about the program, 1 in 4 did not apply because they were afraid of making their employer unhappy or of being fired.

Tami Spain and 1-year-old daughter Michaela Noelle have a play session with a mirror in their Orange home. Spain took 14 weeks maternity leave earlier this year to be with her baby. Spain, the mother of three girls, is general manager at Zinc Cafe & Market in Laguna Beach. JEBB HARRIS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Michaela Noelle, 1, reacts when she recognizes herself in a mirror. Her mother, Tami Spain, took 14 weeks maternity leave earlier this year. JEBB HARRIS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
While her other daughters are at school, Tami Spain does chores around the house with 1-year-old daughter Michaela Noelle comfortably riding in a carrier. JEBB HARRIS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Tami Spain took 14 weeks maternity leave earlier this year to be with her baby Michaela Noelle. Watching her daughter play, she said, "She's just amazing. She's her own person and her personality shines through. Our one-on-one time together is important." JEBB HARRIS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Tami Spain took 14 weeks maternity leave earlier this year to be with her baby Michaela Noelle, now 1. Spain, the mother of three girls, is general manager at Zinc Cafe & Market in Laguna Beach. JEBB HARRIS, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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